It's been almost three decades since Singin’ in the Rain star Gene Kelly died, but his widowed spouse is allowing fans to get a look at his legacy.

Gene Kelly – A Life in Music is part of this year's Auckland Arts Festival and it celebrates the star's life through archival footage, movie clips and personal stories by his wife, Patricia Kelly.

She says her late husband was a romantic who was passionate about many things - but he didn't fully take to dancing until later in life. 

"By the time he got into high school, he realised girls liked a boy who could dance... but he never really envisioned that he would be a dancer."

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